Continuous-distillation still



July' 23, 1925. 154mm H.RUFLI CONTINUOUS DISITILLATION STILL Filed Feb. 8, 1922 I 2 Sheets-Sheat 1 July 28, 1925. 1,5426% H. RUFLI CONTINUOUS DISTILLATION STILL Filed Feb, 8, 1922 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 28, 1&5.

areas seamen norm, or 1mm irons, moraine.

CONTlN'UOUS-DISTILLATION BTILL.

Application and February a, 1922. Serial No. mesa.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN RUFLI, a citizen of the United States; residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marionand State of Indiana,'have invented certain nea and useful Improvements in Continuous-Distillation Stills of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to distillation stills, andthe prime feature of the invention is the provision of a plurality or battery of compartments through'vvhich the fluid to he distilled or treated is passed in succession, the degree of temperature gradually increasing as the fluid passes'from one compartment to another.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for heating the contents of said compartments.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for conveying the liquid being treated from one compartment to the other under force.

A further 'feature'of the invention is the. provision of means for controlling the discharge of the distilling product into the gacent the lower end I various compartments.

,urc 1, and

structed of metal and A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for removing-the residue from the last compartment of the battery,

And a further feature of'the invention is the jirovision of means for excluding air from the discharge end of the compartment containing the residue. 4 1

Other objects and advantages will be hereina'fter more fully set forth and pointed out in the accompanying specification. In the accompanying" drawings Figure l is a central longitudinal vertical section through the still showing the compm'tments'in elevation,

Figure 2, a'scction on the line 22 of Figure l,

Figure 3 a section on line 33' of Fig Figure 4 is a perspectiveview of a closure plate for one of the compartments of the.

still. i

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the still proper; which is preferably composed of a plurality of compartments 2, 4 and 5, although it will he understood that any number of the compartments may be provided as occasion may require. The compartments 2, 3, 4: and 5, are preferably conare surrounded by walls 6, each cimpartment being separated from the other by said Walls, and. the various Walls are spaced from the compartments to provide heat passages 7, the lower ends 69 of the compartments being supported by or resting, however, on base walls 8. Immediately below the crown Wall. 9 passages were formed through the separating Wells 6, so" that the heat passing various compartments ter a fine or chimney 11, l0cated preferably at one endof the battery of At th partments from the flue 11 is a furnace 12 into which fuel is. placed for heating the contents of the various compartments, the heat from the furnace passing. from end to end of the batter passages 13 at the lower ends of theco'mpartments and thence into the flue 11. This device is designed primarily for distilling petroleum, coal tar, and similar materials,

that the lighter or more volatile liquid ele;

ments of the material'will he converted into 9'9 a vapor, and by providing an outlet 16 through the upper end of the compartment 2' the'vaporized part of the mate ial will pass out through said outlet 16 into any suitable condensing chamber, and to the liquid passing through the outlet 16,9, shield 17 is arranged belowv said outlet around which the vapor passes when enterinn the outlet.

The body of the treated material'deseend- 100 ing to the lower portion of the compartment 2 is then discharged through. a pipe 18 into the compartment '3, a nozzle 15 similar to the nozzle. in'the pipe 14 controlling the discharge of the liquid into the compartment 3. .5

lbs same process is repeated as occurs in comfiartment 2 and the volume of liquid descending into the lower end of the com partment 3, is conveyed into the compartment 4 through a p pe-19, and aftertreat- Ill) ment in the compartment 4 is conveyed to the compartment 5 through a p pe 20, the

upwardly around the may escape from one compartment to the other and eventually en-" 1 compartments. e opposite end of the battery of 00m- 79 of compartments through prevent any of I also provided with outlets 16 and shields 17 the openings As it is necessary to exert considerable force on the productbeing distilled, pumps 21 are provided for this purpose, these pumps being connected'to the various pipes for conveying the material from one compartment to the next, and they may be of any preferred construction, although so operated that they will not create a vacuum in any one of the compartments while drawingr the material being treated therefrom.

The device is preferably so constructed that the temperature within each succeeding coir-pertinent will be greater than that in the preceding compartment; that is to say: under normal conditions the temperature within the compartment 2 will be approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit; that of the compartment 3, 500 degrees Fahrenheit; that of the compartment 4, 650 degrees Fahrenheit, and that of the compartment 5, 800 degrees Fahrenheit or over, with the result that the lighter or more volatile liquid products williajbe gradually removed when passing from compartment to compartment,

thereby giving a finally treated material or residue in the compartment 5, and owing to the density of this liquid, the lower end. of

the compartment 5 is practically entirely open. to allow the material to escape there-, from, the density of the material being such that it would not leave the compartment 5- through a small opening. Each nozzle 15 may be provided with a valve mechanism 22 for controlling the discharge of the liquid from the ends of the nozzles, said valve mechanisms preferably extending.. -through the walls surrounding the compartments so that they may be readily manipulated. As there is normally more or less residue collecting in the lower ends of the compartments 2, 3 and 4-, thereby gradually closing in the ends of the pipes 18, 1.) and 20, which connect respectively with the lowcrends of the compartments 2', 3 and 4, overflow pipes 23 are provided which connect at their upper ends with the compartments 2, 3 and 4 at points above the lower ends of the compartments, while the lower ends of said overflow pipes connect with, pipes 30, 31 and 32 atpomts exterior-1y of the compartments, able mechanism maybe provided for determining the amount of residue collected withinsaid compartments.

In additioi to the provision of the furnace 12 for eating the various compartments, a fireibox 24 maybe located below the lower ends of each of the, compartments 2, 3 and 4,50 that additional heat may be applied under the respective compartments, ii necessary.

Any suitable means may he provided for and if desired any suit-' compartment having an removing the residue from the compartment 5, but lILtlllS instance a tank 25 is mounted upon a truck 26, and said truck is positioned below the discharge end of said compartment, and in order to prevent air gaining access to the interior of the compartment while one tank is being removed and another is being entered in position, a plate 27 is provided which is preferably three times the length of the tank 25, and which is provided with an opening 28 sub-- stantially the length of the tank through which the contents or the compartment 5 may enter the tank. The top edges of the tank fit snugly against the undersideof the plate 27 and as soon as the'tank has received its quota of the product it is moved from under the compartment 5 and below one of the imperforate ends of the plate, while asirnilar tankyfireviously positioned below the opposite imperforate end is simultaneously moved'to position below the opening 28.

By providing a battery of compartments and gradually increasing the temperature ,of the successive compartments, the more volatile materials will be gradually.vaporized and removed to a point of condensation as the material is carried from end to end of the battery of receptacles, so that by thefltime the material reaches and is treated within the compartment 5, all volatile particles will be removed and the residue to maiaw;

Har g vention,fwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, is:

thus fully described my said in- 1. An app'iaiatus for treating liquidcomprising a lpl urality of compartments hav mg means ,for transferring tlle lltluld successively tl-ierethrough, the last co mp art-- ment having-an open lower end, anelem'ent beneath thelbottonrot' said compartment having an opening to pern' it the discharge of residue therethrough, said clement hav ing oppositelyextcnding portions projecting beyond the walls of the compartment and adapted to cover under the opening receiving residue another partment having an opening therein for the receptacles for receiving the residue whereby when one receptacle is 1-.

receptacle will be under one of said projectsaid lastremoval of residue, said element having 0p pusitely extending portions projecting beyond the' wall of the compartment and adapted to cover receptacles for receiving the residue \vliereby vlleirone receptacle is under the opening receiving residue another receptacle will be under one of said pr0jeeting parts, substantially asset forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunt o set -iny hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana,' 10

this 4th day of February, A. D. nineteen hundred and g'wenty-twm HERMAN RUFLI. [1,. s.]

Witnesses:

CARE}; S. FRYE, M. L. THULER. 

